Poetry-Inspired Writing Prompts
Writing tips inspired by poetry
Poetry is the most under-appreciated form of writing in the world today. Yet poems are ever-present in our lives. As children, we learn rhythm and language from nursery rhymes, and poems are read aloud at most major life events — baptisms, graduations, weddings, presidential inaugurations, and funerals — to name a few.
Today’s writing prompts are inspired by poetry but that doesn’t mean they have to inspire a poem. Use them to write anything you want; a short story, a blog post, a journal entry, or a freewrite. You might even try writing a song, keeping in mind that song lyrics are a type of poetry in their own right.
Writing Prompts
Some of these writing prompts require that you use an existing poem. Your poem choice can be a nursery rhyme, a Dr. Suess story, or song lyrics. Be open and creative, and have fun!
- The hallmark of great poetry is its imagery. A truly compelling poem paints a picture and invites the reader into a vivid and realistic scene. Choose an image or scene from one of your favorite poems and start writing.
- One of the most famous poems in the English language is “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” a lengthy ode to a favorite holiday. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
- Not all poems rhyme, but many do. And song lyrics often rhyme too. Other types of writing may incorporate less obvious rhymes. Give rhyming a shot.
- Some poems are more than just poems. They tell stories. “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” is one example. Shakespeare’s plays are another. Try writing a poem that is also a story, play, or essay. Or try writing a story or essay that is also a poem.
- Read your favorite poem and take a few minutes to contemplate it. Then, write something about the poem. Why do you love it? How does it make you feel? What makes this poem so special to you?
Choose whichever writing prompts speak to you the most. Once you’re done, come back and tell us how it worked out. And keep on writing!
Do you ever use writing prompts to inspire a writing session? Have you found them helpful? Got any writing prompts of your own to share? Leave a comment!
Why Proofreading and Editing are Essential Steps in the Writing Process
Proofreading and editing lead to better writing
Some of the greatest writers in history have said that writing is revising. That’s where the work is polished and fine tuned so that it shines and strikes a chord with readers. A piece of writing enters the proofreading and editing phase as a lump of coal and it comes out a diamond.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that every individual should do things his or her own way. Each of us has to find the genre that fits, the notebook that’s most comfortable, and the writing process that clicks. But there’s no alternative to proofreading and editing. It’s something we all have to do.
A rough draft is just that – rough. And when you put a rough piece of writing out there for people to read, it will feel to them like a piece of wood that hasn’t been sanded. It’s jagged, edgy (not in a good way), misshapen, and unpleasant to the touch.
Yet many writers continue to share, publish, and distribute their work before they’ve even given it a once-over. I don’t know if they think they got it right on the first pass, can’t be bothered with cleaning up their own mess, or simply don’t care about their work or their readers.
Proofreading and editing are essential steps in the writing process. Whatever your process is, proofreading and editing must be included because nobody gets it right on the first try (okay, maybe one in a million). Even when material has been revised, edited, and proofread several times, a typo or two can slip through. Just the other day I was reading an encyclopedia and right there on the second page was a glaring typo. I’d guess that encyclopedia was reviewed by the writers plus a team of editors and proofreaders. So just imagine how many mistakes are in a piece of your writing that hasn’t been edited or that you’ve only given a cursory proof.
For the Love of Creation
Creativity is a strange and wonderful phenomenon. Some of us are born to make things, and we do it because we love our work. We are passionate about poetry and fired up over fiction. Don’t we love our work enough to make it shine as brightly as possible? When I read work that hasn’t been polished, I get the sense that the writer is not really working. It’s all fun and games, sitting around coming up with rhymes and making up stories. But the craftsmanship, the work, is in the detail. It’s in the proofreading and editing. If all you want to do is have fun, go to a bar or a ballgame.
Professionalism
Nothing says “I’m unprofessional” like a rough draft that has been turned in, submitted, or otherwise shared or published. If there’s one reason I’m relieved I never became an editor at a magazine or newspaper, it’s that I don’t have to suffer through page after page of lazy, unpolished writing. This is why editors rarely offer feedback on why they reject so many submissions. They figure if the writers can’t take the time to polish their work, the editors shouldn’t waste their time doing anything more than sending a polite, canned rejection slip.
Respecting Your Readers
Readers, however, are the most important reasons why every writer should proofread and edit. By readers, I don’t simply mean the folks who buy books and magazines. Readers are also your teachers, members of your workshop or writing group, and even your friends and family. It’s almost a matter of etiquette — it’s disrespectful to ask someone to read your sloppy rough draft or a project you’ve only reviewed once or twice. If you don’t take time to polish your writing, why should anyone make time to read it?
Better Feedback
Some young or new writers will wonder why they should belong to a writing group or participate in a workshop if they have to do all their own editing and find their own mistakes. When you clean up your work before getting feedback, the person who’s providing feedback will be able to provide you with a response that is more insightful. If you already know how to use quotation marks, contractions, and how to differentiate between passive and active voice, feedback that points these things out won’t make you a better writer. It’s just someone else telling you where to point your vacuum cleaner when you have a perfectly good set of eyes and can see the dirt for yourself. Your writing group and workshop should function more like a carpet cleaner. They go through and find the stuff you can’t see, the stuff you don’t know, not the stuff you were too lazy to look for.
Know Your Trade
Occasionally, I come across a writer who doesn’t like editing would prefer to pay someone else to do it. These writers usually have the greatest trouble with grammar and mechanics, and they don’t want to learn. They just want someone else to fix it. I’m happy to help, but I’m always left wondering why a writer wouldn’t want to know the tools of his or her trade. That’s kind of like a plumber who doesn’t know the difference between a wrench and screwdriver.
Proofreading and Editing Are Essential
For all of these reasons (and I’m sure, many more), proofreading and editing are essential to producing writing that is polished, professional, and publishable. When you proof and edit your own work, typos will still slip through. I’ve heard several authors talk about reading their own published work years later and finding all kinds of problems that they wish they’d caught before it went to print. And they had high-level, professional editors!
Most of us don’t have a team of experts. We’re all busy. We all make mistakes. But if we can’t make time to do our best, then why bother writing at all?
Can you think of any other reasons why proofreading and editing are so important? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
How to Fuse Journal Writing with Art and Imagery
Journal writing is an art unto itself
Journal writing is most definitely an art, but how can we use art in our writing journals?
Writers are passionate about journals and notebooks – sacred spaces where some of our best ideas manifest.
So it makes sense to use our journals to turn up the creativity. Luckily, that’s not hard to do.
Let’s look at some ways we can fuse art with our journal writing for cultivating creativity and inspiration.
The Art Journal
Artists keep journals just like writers do. But instead of filling their journals with words, artists fill them with images – sketches and paintings. Like writers, artists let their ideas pour onto the pages, and treasure their journals as a sacred creative space.
You can open up your writing journal and invite art inside. Few things go together like words and images, which are perfect complements in the realm of creativity. And since writing is an art, writing and art can live side by side in your journal, coming together to keep you inspired and motivated.
Journal Writing and Art Fusion
Here are some ideas for merging art with your journal writing:
- When words won’t come, doodle in your journal instead. You don’t have to be a trained or skilled artist to draw symbols and stick figures.
- Use your journal to sketch pictures of your fictional characters. Again, they can be stick figures. Use colored pencils to shade in their hair, eyes, etc.
- Start collecting images that inspire you. Get postcards and clip images from magazines, and then paste them into your journal.
- Use words to describe the images you’ve placed in your journal. Imagery is an important element in writing, and crafting descriptions will help you hone your imagery skills.
- Mix journal writing and art within the pages of your notebook. Draw a little, write a little. Let the words run over the pictures and vice versa.
You can add more art to your journal, too. Jot down your favorite song lyrics. Describe a favorite piece of music. Include your favorite photography. Allow all of the arts to come together by merging journal writing with other creative forms.
And don’t worry about artistry, except when it comes to words. Lots of writers enjoy other arts, but it’s impossible to master them all. Stay focused on writing if that’s your greatest strength, but allow yourself to be creative and explorative in your creativity.
Do you have any journal writing tips? Any ideas to add or experiences to share? Leave a comment.
Movie-Inspired Writing Prompts
Writing tips for film buffs
There’s nothing quite like sitting in a darkened movie theater.
You’re in the dark with a room full of strangers. The air is filled with the smell of hot, buttered popcorn. Feet shuffle, chairs creak, and you can hear ice rattling around in plastic cups. The movie’s about to start.
Even though we have unlimited access to movies right from the comfort of our homes, theaters are still going strong, and for good reason. Seeing a movie in a theater is an experience.
Films have impassioned and inspired countless writers to craft poems, compose stories and songs, and write articles, essays, and even blogs. Today, let’s find out how the movies can inspire your writing.
Writing Prompts
You can use these writing prompts to write anything you want. Change them up or switch them around. Use one or use them all. Just have fun.
- It’s your all-time favorite movie. You know the one. You’ve seen it a million times and you can recite the dialogue by heart. You stop to watch it whenever it’s on, and just thinking about it makes you want to go watch it again right now. Now, imagine you are your favorite character in that movie.
- Indiana Jones carried a whip. Luke Skywalker had a lightsaber. Robin Hood — he had a crossbow. In your adventure story, what is the weapon of choice? How is it used? Who possesses these weapons?
- It all started in an old, abandoned movie theater…
- What if every moment of your life was on film, as seen from your own eyes? What if the camera’s perspective was pointed at you at all times?
- Some of the greatest books have been brought to life by filmmakers. But they say the book is always better than the movie. Is that true? Are there exceptions?
Choose the writing prompts that speak to you the most. Once you’re done, come back and tell us how it worked out for you.
Do you ever use writing prompts for your writing sessions? Have you found them helpful? Got any writing prompts of your own to share? Leave a comment!
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